Lillian McKayhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog
Party, Event, & Home InspirationMon, 05 Aug 2013 07:59:10 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1Making the Switch to Natural Productshttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/08/05/making-the-switch-to-natural-products/
http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/08/05/making-the-switch-to-natural-products/#commentsMon, 05 Aug 2013 07:59:10 +0000adminhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/?p=1027READ MORE >>>]]>In part of getting healthier I decided earlier this year to start making the switch to healthier health & beauty products. I took a look on the EWG Skin Deep cosmetic database and was surprised to see how many toxic chemicals I was putting on my skin! Yes I adored the products I was using they worked great but my health is more important. My total EWG cosmetic database score topped over 30 so I was determined to get that number way down with healthier products that worked the way I needed them to. After some trial and error I found some awesome new favorite products that I’ve been using for the past couple months.

The first two products are both from The Honest Co., which is an online “natural” product retailer founded by Jessica Alba. The body lotion I was using before was graded on EWG at a 7 while the face lotion was graded an 5; combined total of 12 pts. After trying out Honest Face & Body Lotion I was hooked, it goes on without any sticky leftover feeling like many lotions have. Plus its light enough to work as a Face lotion too. Just remember a little goes a long way with this stuff, which is great news since it’s $9.99 a bottle. A little pricey but it’s worth the cost and it’s EWG score is a 0! The other The Honest Co. product I started using is the Hair Conditioner which has a score of 2. My old color treatment conditioner was a 6 and I always had knots in my hair afterwards. I found that with the Honest conditioner it feels like nothing is going on your hair in the shower. Except for the first time after the shower I could comb right through my hair with no tangles. After that I was hooked! Once again it is kinda pricey at $9.99 a bottle but again you don’t need to use a lot, one 6.8 oz bottle lasted me almost two months. Since I liked the products so much I ended up buying them in a bundle pack to save some money, 5 products for $35 {plus shipping}.

The next product I’ve actually been using on and off for two years, Crystal Deodorant. I tend to use whatever deodorant that is on sale or that I have a coupon for. Until I realized all the bad stuff that is in Deodorant/Antiperspirants, that stuff is nasty. Some studies {whether they are true or not} say the chemicals found in them have been linked to breast cancer. To that I say no thank you and would rather use a healthier alternative. Crystal Deodorant has no scent and pretty much feels like you are just rolling on water. I was surprised that it actually worked! You still sweat since it’s only a deodorant but it stops your sweat from smelling. It runs at about $3 but their website offers coupons sometimes so it’s not too bad in price. Plus it’s EWG score is only a 2 compared to my old brand that was a 3.

The last product that I’ve recently switched to is Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm. It’s light and smooth, lasts a while and doesn’t leave a weird taste if it gets in your mouth. I actually like it so much I keep two of them, one if my purse and one in the house at all times. The EWG score is only a 1, which totally rocks! {my old brand I used was a 6.}

What are your favorite “natural” health and beauty products?

Disclosure: Some links may use my affiliate link, however I was not paid for the post. Purely shared these products since they are my new favorites.

Pin It]]>http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/08/05/making-the-switch-to-natural-products/feed/10Straight Teethhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/27/straight-teeth/
http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/27/straight-teeth/#commentsMon, 27 May 2013 07:00:41 +0000adminhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/?p=1005READ MORE >>>]]>This is a sponsored post, however all thoughts and opinions are that of my own.

Did you have metal braces growing up? If you didn’t boy were you a lucky duck! When I got braces there were really only two options silver or white/clear metal braces, neither were “cool”. I had them top and bottom for 3 and half years, 8th grade until my jr. year of high school. I just remember all the pain they caused, the food I couldn’t eat, and then there are those embarrassing brace face photos. {above!} Looking back through my scrapbook from high school most of my pictures are full of a metal smile. Although I am happy I was able to correct my teeth the experience wasn’t very fun. Of course when it came time to getting my braces off and given a retainer. Like many other teens… I didn’t wear it like I should of. In turn over the years my front teeth have moved and started to overlap each other. Most people say they can’t even tell but I can and it bothers me to see in photos. I’ve been thinking for awhile that I’ve wanted to fix it however I knew I didn’t want to get metal braces again so I’ve lived with it.

Now there is a new option for teens and tweens {and adults}… Invisalign! It’s a clear alternative to traditional metal braces. Invisalign is simply a plastic clear aligner that slips over your teeth to wear for at least 22 hours a day. Each aligner is made to wear for about two weeks before you change to the next stage of aligner. You can take them off to brush, floss, eat, etc. so now no more white stained spotted teeth from where the metal bracket was. The great thing also about Invisalign is that in many cases it can correct your teeth faster then traditional braces. Since Invisalign is starting to become more popular the price is also being more affordable, most orthodontists are charging the same as traditional braces. So now you may be thinking what if my kid {or I} lose it, well with the plan you are given an allotted amount of extra aligners just in case this happens. Another worry is, since it’s clear will you be able to tell if your child has been wearing it? The answer is yes you will. There are two little blue dots on the aligner that will change color/fade over the course of the 2 weeks you wear the aligner. If the blue dot doesn’t change in color then that is a key player in knowing if your child has been being responsible or not. {To find a certified Invisalign provider be sure to visit the Invisalign doctor locator.}

After talking to my dentist, he agreed that Invisalign would be a great route for me to go to fix my teeth. So if all goes as planned I am planning on starting my very own Invisalign journey this fall and can’t wait to have straight teeth again! For more on Invisalign check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Invisalign however all thoughts are that of my own. #INVStraightTalk

]]>http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/27/straight-teeth/feed/5Kid’s Artwork Bookhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/16/kids-artwork-book/
http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/16/kids-artwork-book/#commentsThu, 16 May 2013 07:52:40 +0000adminhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/?p=978READ MORE >>>]]>What do you do with kid’s artwork from school & growing up? If you’re like my mom you keep it all in a big folder until your child is old enough to decide what to do with it. {haha} After years of pondering what to do with it I finally decided to use a promo code for a free photo book and capture it all in there. A. It would take up less space and B. There is a greater possibility more people would see it in a book rather then at the top of a closet shelf.

So keeping that idea in mind I took pictures of all my artwork, edited it, cropped it, etc. Since most were large pieces I couldn’t scan it however if you have lots of small pieces of flat art scanning would be perfect for you. After everything looked as close to the real thing I designed my book. That process was rather easy, since most of my work didn’t have dates I only added in the pictures {without descriptions} in as close to in order as I could. {One thing I would suggest is adding the year and a short description to each piece of art you keep so it is easier years down the road.}

In about a weeks time I had my childhood artwork book in hand and I think it turned out wonderful. It’s such a great way to preserve all those great memories and one of a kind pieces! What do you do with your artwork from childhood or your own kids artwork?

]]>http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/15/wear/feed/0Italian Pasta Salad Recipehttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/13/italian-pasta-salad-recipe/
http://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/2013/05/13/italian-pasta-salad-recipe/#commentsMon, 13 May 2013 07:20:22 +0000adminhttp://www.lillianmckay.com/blog/?p=969READ MORE >>>]]>With summer coming a must have pot luck and picnic food is pasta salad! For my pasta salad I like to use pasta that has vegetables added in and the kids never know they actually eating something semi healthy. The kids love this recipe and ask for it frequently throughout the year. Not only is it nice that the kids {& adults} like it but it’s super simple to make.

Supplies

Pasta

1 cup Grape Tomatoes {I use Ronzoni Garden Delight}

1/2 cup Green Olives {I use reduced sodium}

1/2 cup Kalamata Olives

20 Pepperonis

4oz cubed Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup Italian Dressing

First boil until pasta is al dente then drain off water.

Next stir in 1 cup Italian dressing in bowl and refrigerate over night.